
In the age of ecommerce, window shopping has taken on new meaning. It used to be that window shoppers would walk around a brick-and-mortar stores, causally look at one or two items, and then leave.
Today, the process is more complex. A shopper might peruse six or seven stores simultaneously while on the train home from work. Is she just killing time or is she on the hunt for a perfect gift? It’s hard to tell. But it does point of the need for some strategies for converting “just looking” ecommerce shoppers into buyers.
Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse
It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. A consumer shows interest in an item, a sales clerk notices this interest, and tries to push a sale by offering a one-time discount.
Ecommerce sellers would do well to adopt this strategy.
If your platform allows you to track customer behavior, you can identify users who have shown interest in a specific product. Let’s say a user peruses your selection of wireless noise-canceling headphones, but leaves your site without buying. You can follow up with the shopper via email: Enjoy 30 percent off select noise-cancelling headphones with this exclusive coupon code, good for 48 hours.
Notice the time limit on the offer. By applying pressure to the sale, you can motivate “just looking” shoppers to convert ASAP. And since the coupon code is unique and personal, you don’t have to worry about coupon code abuse.
Admittedly, the above example assumes that you have the shoppers email address already. If you don’t, that’s okay. Either push on the user to share their email credentials for hot deals or apply the same strategy using on-site display advertisements.
Make the Checkout Process All-Too-Easy
A recent poll found drunk online shoppers account for $400 worth of purchases per legal consumer. In total, boozy buying earns the ecommerce industry an average of $48 billion dollars per year.
What does that surprisingly comical statistic have to do with converting ecommerce shoppers into buyers?
It demonstrates how impulse purchases make up a large portion of the ecommerce market. In other words, if you make your e-store more impulse friendly, you will earn more money.
Removing complicated processes from your checkout page encourages sales on whims. Examples include allowing for one-click checkout, or the ability to make purchases without creating an account.
Provide All Necessary Information Upfront
The last thing any salesperson wants is for an interested customer to leave their store making a purchase. So, why do so many ecommerce sellers leave vital information off their product pages?
If a customer has questions about a product and can’t find the answers on your website, they are likely to look elsewhere for answers. Unfortunately, those answers might be found on a competitor’s blog or product page.
Don’t suffer the shame of losing out on a sale. Include all necessary information upfront. If you’re selling make up and cosmetics through Shopify, or some other ecommerce platform, include information on color, application, ingredients, and the like. It also helps to include customer reviews on each product page, as customers look for third-party input on your merchandise.
The same thing can be said for clothing sizes, technological troubleshooting, product matching, accessories and the like. The more information you provide users within the confines of a single product page or website, the greater your chances of retaining that customer through the sales funnel.
In conclusion, converting ecommerce shoppers into buyers requires strategic incentives, simplified processes, and anticipation of customers’ need for information. If you hit all three of these categories, you’ll be in a good place.
thanks for the great post